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Corruption fighters

From Cuyahoga County to Dayton and Columbus, the FBI is making progress

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Former state Rep. Clayton Luckie’s guilty pleas on Tuesday to eight felony counts related to
improper use of campaign funds mark a sad moment for people in his Dayton-area district.

But Luckie’s fall also is a sign that the FBI is continuing to clean up government in Ohio.

Luckie, a Democrat, is the second state lawmaker to face criminal charges in recent months. The
first was former Rep. W. Carlton Weddington of Columbus, also a Democrat, who in June pleaded
guilty to bribery, election falsification and an ethics violation and received a three-year prison
sentence.

Luckie also has been sentenced to three years, by visiting Franklin County Judge Alan
Travis.

Consequences like that should make the next lawmaker on the take — or one considering going that
direction — think twice.

Investigators said Luckie began cooking the books on his campaign finances almost immediately
after his election in 2006. He diverted nearly $130,000 to his own use, including cash withdrawals
from casinos, a $1,800 payment on a home-equity loan, nearly $10,000 in checks to himself and
thousands spent at stores or transferred to his personal checking account. He started by forging
the name of someone he knew in the blank where the campaign-finance report form asked for “
treasurer.” He created false invoices and receipts to cover up his spending — in at least one case,
in response to an audit letter from the secretary of state’s office.

FBI Special Agent Edward J. Hanko, in charge of the public-corruption unit, expressed amazement
that the investigation didn’t seem to cramp Luckie’s style. “What really surprised me,” Hanko said,
“is that even after we spoke to Clayton Luckie and advised him of this investigation... he
submitted more false documents. It’s almost unbelievable.”

Luckie and Weddington, who apparently felt safe abusing the privileges of public office to
enrich themselves (and, in Weddington’s case, to corrupt the office by agreeing to propose a new
law in exchange for favors), most likely are believers now in the FBI’s ability to uncover dirty
dealings.

Add to these convictions the massive FBI investigation of corruption in Cuyahoga County that
ultimately resulted in the conviction of Democratic kingpin and Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy
Dimora, as well as Democratic Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, Democratic Cuyahoga County
Common Pleas Judge Steven Terry, Democratic Strongsville City Councilman Patrick Coyne and dozens
of other public employees and private-sector business people. These outcomes should ensure that all
public officials have second thoughts about any temptation to abuse their positions.